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Students at a Paying for College Bus Tour stop, Reading PA

The Sallie Mae Fund honored as 'Donor of the Month' by Reading Is Fundamental

National children's literacy organization lauds TSMF for its continued generosity.

Reston, Va., June 14, 2007—The Sallie Mae Fund is pleased to announce that it has been selected as the Reading Is Fundamental (RIF) "Donor of the Month" for June 2007. The Sallie Mae Fund recently renewed its support of the national children's literacy organization with a donation of more than $42,000, which will provide funding for RIF programs at 16 schools in six states. For nearly 20 years, The Sallie Mae Fund and Sallie Mae have supported RIF programs with grants and volunteers in the communities where employees live and work. Since 2001, The Sallie Mae Fund has provided more than 100,000 books and thousands of volunteer hours through RIF's National Book Program.

"Through the generosity of The Sallie Mae Fund, thousands of RIF kids have received books and literacy resources," said Carol Rasco, president and chief executive officer, Reading Is Fundamental. "In addition to The Fund's substantial financial support, the employees of Sallie Mae have enriched these children's lives through their extensive volunteer efforts. We are proud to work in concert with The Sallie Mae Fund to foster a love of reading in children across the nation."

Founded in 1966, Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest children's literacy organization. It develops and delivers children's and family literacy programs that help prepare young children for reading and motivate school-age children to read regularly. RIF's National Book Program, now known as Books for Ownership, motivates children, families and community members to read together. Students have the opportunity to choose and take home a book at no cost to their families and interact with volunteers, who read stories to the children at the event.

This year, The Sallie Mae Fund and teams of Sallie Mae volunteers will support RIF programs in communities where Sallie Mae employees live and work, including Mesa, Ariz.; Rockland and West Roxbury, Mass.; Batavia, Delevan, Horseheads, Painted Post, and Perry, N.Y.; Hanover Twp. and Wilkes-Barre, Pa.; and Copperas Cove and Killeen, Texas.

"The Sallie Mae Fund is committed to supporting programs that foster academic achievement and help ensure that students are prepared to pursue a higher education," said Kathleen deLaski, president of The Sallie Mae Fund. "Literacy, and more importantly a love of reading, are key to a successful academic career. We are proud to support Reading Is Fundamental, which is doing so much to improve literacy nationwide."

About The Sallie Mae Fund, a charitable organization sponsored by Sallie Mae. The Fund achieves its mission—to increase access to a post-secondary education for America's students—by supporting programs and initiatives that help open doors to higher education, prepare families for their investment, and bridge the gap when no one else can. For more information, visit www.salliemaefund.org.

Reading Is Fundamental, Inc. (RIF), founded in 1966, motivates children to read by working with them, their parents and community members to make reading a fun and beneficial part of everyday life. RIF's highest priority is reaching underserved children from birth to age eight. Through community volunteers in every state and U.S. territory, RIF provides 4.5 million children with 16 million new, free books and literacy resources each year. For more information and to access reading resources, visit RIF's Web site at www.rif.org.